Pa. State Rep. Nate Davidson speaks on impacts of new tariffs
WE’VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE SO-CALLED TARIFF WHIPLASH, A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENACTING AND THEN PAUSING EXTRA FEES ON IMPORTS FROM SOME OF OUR BIGGEST TRADE PARTNERS. AND WE’RE JOINED NOW BY PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE NATE DAVIDSON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. WE APPRECIATE IT. I APPRECIATE THE INVITATION TO BE WITH YOU TODAY. YEAH, WE’RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS ALL HITS CLOSE TO HOME FOR YOU. YOU JUST RECENTLY TOOK A TRIP AND THAT’S HIGHLIGHTING THESE RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. IS THAT CORRECT. THAT’S RIGHT. YEAH. EARLIER THIS YEAR IT WAS APPOINTED BY SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE JOANNA MCCLINTON TO THE CANADA-U.S. RELATIONS COMMITTEE AT THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS. AND JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I WAS INVITED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND ONTARIO TO COME UP NORTH WITH A GROUP OF LEGISLATORS FROM NORTHEASTERN STATES TO TALK ABOUT THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE HAD OVER THESE MANY YEARS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT TO PENNSYLVANIANS, TO PEOPLE IN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY WATCHING RIGHT NOW? SURE, ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY HAVE THEY BEEN, WE’VE FOUGHT SIDE BY SIDE WITH CANADIANS IN MANY WARS AS RECENTLY AS THE WAR ON TERROR, WHERE 159 CANADIANS PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS. BUT THEY’RE OUR BIGGEST TRADING PARTNER, AND THEY HAVE BEEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, HUNDREDS OF PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESSES RELY ON THAT RELATIONSHIP. AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PENNSYLVANIANS ARE EITHER EMPLOYED BY CANADIAN COMPANIES OR WORK DIRECTLY WITH CANADIAN COMPANIES. SO WHAT WAS THE TONE LIKE IN CANADA WHEN DISCUSSING THESE TARIFFS? WAS THERE ANY LACK OF TRUST, OR WAS IT JUST EASY TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS? THERE HAS BEEN SOME TENSION, I THINK IS THE EASIEST WAY TO SAY IT. AND PARTICULARLY WITH THE THE CHAOTIC NATURE OF THE TARIFF REGIME COMING OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON, IT GOES BACK AND FORTH, AND ONE DAY IT’S THIS. AND THEN RONALD REAGAN SHOWS UP ON A TV SCREEN AND IT GOES UP, YOU KNOW, AND AND THAT CHAOS IS REALLY CHALLENGING FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE OUR BEST FRIENDS, OUR CANADIAN FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND ALLIES AND IN MANY CASES, FAMILY. AND THEY HAVE HAD TO REEVALUATE SOME OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE WEST. AS A RESULT OF THIS CHAOS. SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING HAVING VISITED THE AREA, COMING BACK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO STRENGTHEN THE BOND NOW? YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, IN MY ROLE AS CO-CHAIR, WHICH I’LL TAKE UP LATER THIS YEAR OF THAT COMMITTEE, IT’S WORKING WITH OTHER LEGISLATORS AND OTHER STATES TO FIND WAYS WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE OUR CLOSE RELATIONSHIP. RIGHT? WHETHER IT’S SPORTS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RE A PENS FAN, SIDNEY CROSBY IS FROM NOVA SCOTIA, OR IF YOU’RE A BLUE JAYS FAN, THAT ROOKIE PITCHER WHO SET ALL THOSE RECORDS. HE’S FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY, RIGHT. SO THERE’S MANY WAYS THAT WE’RE CONNECTED AND FINDING WAYS TO EMPHASIZE THOSE BONDS CREATE STATE LEVEL OR PROVINCIAL LEVEL WAYS THAT WE CAN KIND OF MITIGATE SOME OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS COMING FROM WASHINGTON. THERE’S A VARIETY OF THINGS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IS KEEPING THE RELATIONSHIP GOING, KEEPING THE CONVERSATION ONGOING. WELL, THAT’S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. YOU TOOK THE TRIP FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST HEAR ABOUT THIS IN THE HEADLINES OR HEAR ABOUT IT ON TELEVISION, WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE REALLY TO KNOW COMING OUT OF THIS TRIP? WHAT DO I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW COMING OUT OF THIS TRIP? OUR CANADIAN FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ARE VALUABLE ALLIES TO OUR WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN AND ECONOMY. I’LL JUST USE CRAFT BEER AS AN EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW, AN INDUSTRY THAT’S ALREADY HURTING RIGHT NOW WITH CHANGING CONSUMPTION HABITS IN THE POST COVID ERA, A 50% ALUMINUM TARIFF HAS A REAL IMPACT ON THOSE ON THOSE BREWERS, 75% OF THEIR PACKAGING IS ALUMINUM. THAT’S A REAL IMPACT THAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE AT THE GROCERY STORE OR AT A CRAFT BREWERY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE REASON BEING, WE HAVE TWO ALUMINUM SMELTERS IN AMERICA, AND THEY’RE PRETTY DATED. THERE ARE NINE ALUMINUM SMELTERS IN QUEBEC ALONE. AND THEY ROLE THAT ALUMINUM AND SHIP IT ACROSS THE BORDER TO GET ROLLED INTO AUTO PARTS OR BEER CANS. AND BECAUSE OF THE 50% TARIFF, WHICH IS A TAX ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT IMPACT. AND CRAFT BREWERS ARE ALREADY SQUEEZED RIGHT NOW. SO THAT’S JUST ONE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY. I MEAN, I COULD GO ON ABOUT HARDWOODS OR POWDERED METALS OR LIKE THERE’S MANY WAYS THAT OUR ECONOMIES ARE CONNECTED. ALL RIGHT. STATE REPRESENTATIVE NATE DAVISON, THANK YOU SO MU
Pa. State Rep. Nate Davidson speaks on impacts of new tariffs
Updated: 11:14 PM EST Nov 22, 2025
For the past couple of months, Americans have been dealing with so-called “tariff whiplash.” The Trump administration has enacted and then paused extra fees on imports from some of America’s biggest trade partners. Pennsylvania State Representative Nate Davidson spoke with WGAL News 8 on the impact of these tariffs. You can watch the full interview in the video player above.
For the past couple of months, Americans have been dealing with so-called “tariff whiplash.”
The Trump administration has enacted and then paused extra fees on imports from some of America’s biggest trade partners.
Pennsylvania State Representative Nate Davidson spoke with WGAL News 8 on the impact of these tariffs.
You can watch the full interview in the video player above.